Prevention Institute Leadership Transition

Publication Date:

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

This week, Larry Cohen, founder of Prevention Institute, announced that he will be retiring from the organization in October and handing over its leadership to Managing Director Rachel Davis. “I’m extraordinarily proud of what PI has achieved so far and deeply appreciative of the tremendous community-wide support we’ve received for our efforts to advance prevention and social justice,” Cohen said. “The board of directors and I started discussing this transition several years ago, and with an extremely talented staff, and having just celebrated PI’s 20-year anniversary, we feel the time is right for new leadership to develop the organization’s vision for the future.”

Cohen, a nationally known public health leader and long-time advocate of community-level primary prevention, founded the organization with Rachel Davis and Leslie Mikkelsen in 1997. Under his leadership, PI has been recognized for its cutting-edge approach that applies prevention principles to solving complex health and social issues across disciplines.

On November 1, PI Managing Director Rachel Davis will become the executive director of the organization. Davis, who has been involved since the inception of PI, has played a key role in shaping the Prevention Institute’s approach and guiding innovative initiatives aimed at preventing violence, promoting mental health and wellbeing, and advancing community approaches to health equity. Her work has influenced state and federal policies, strategies, and practices across the field of public health.

“This leadership transition is being carried out in a thoughtful and intentional way that I am confident will position Prevention Institute as a more powerful force for change in community health than ever,” said Kalahn Taylor-Clark, chair of PI’s board of directors. “I deeply appreciate Larry’s vision, wisdom, and leadership, and am profoundly grateful that our organization has extraordinary leaders like Rachel to keep building the momentum we need for strategies that prevent illness and injury and promote health and wellbeing for all.”